The Wolf's howl
by Greypainter
Summary: I'm in a league and in this league you need a background for your army, well an excuse really. Hopefully some of my actual battles will be here, suitably changed.


The limp green body flew through the window shattering the glass and fell through the air for two stories before making a large green splatter on the black path

The limp green body flew through the window shattering the glass and fell through the air for two stories before making a large green splatter on the black path. It was soon followed by more ork corpses. 

'Come on quickly we need to gather the aliens up so we can burn them and cleanse the planet.' Brother Rune Priest Marcus cried as he hurled another ork through the window.

Around him down the halls the grey hunters continued the cleanup and below his keen senses could hear the bloodclaws doing the same. They had taken the firebase quickly with minimal casualties, the orks had been ill prepared for the assault that lasted a mere ten minutes. The Long fangs had created covering fire making sure the ork vehicles were of no threat and forcing the greenskins to hide in the base. Waiting in the rhinos the two packs were grey hunters with wolf guard champion Thoran and his thunder hammer "shaker" in one and the other was full of blood claws Brother Marcus himself and wolf guard champion Eric with his specially craft lighting claws. They were swiftly transported to the front of the base at the breach the orks had used to enter the base when they invaded it, skilfully, showing decades of practice, the rhino drivers swung their vehicles round to expose one side door and the back of the rhino to the enemy. 

Before the orks could take advantage of the exposed rears of the two tanks out poured it's cargo, two packs of battle crazed space wolves, one of which was surrounded in a strange psychic mist. The marines wasted no time and before the ACPs had come to a halt they were out and half way to the orks, howling in the bliss of combat. The first line of orks didn't stand a chance and where torn apart before they realised the enemy was upon them, within minutes the first floor had been cleared. 

The second floor was harder, lost was the initial momentum they had, the fighting up the congested stairs slowed them down to a stand still. It was only when they collapsed part of the floor above them could they start to make headway. The loss of a large number of orks down a hole which hadn't been there a second ago caused enough confusion to allow the bloodclaws led by the maddened Eric to rush the stairs securing the top of the stairs. From that point on nothing stood in the marines way and the building was cleared and occupied. 

'Sir, come in sir can you read me?' 

Marcus activated his microbead and replied, 'Yes I read you what do you have to report scout?' 

'Mid sized force of orks making their way to your position, three trucks all laded with orks and a dreadnought, they have also looted an imperial tank unable to identify it because of the orks alterations but seems to be a Leman Russ variant.'

'Thank you, we will be ready for them. Russ be with you.'

'And with you, out'

He did not give them any orders, they knew what to do, they had been doing it for long enough.

It was not long before the war band was sighted, or rather heard since the roar of engines was heard long before a single ork was seen. The wind was blowing towards the wolves from the orks direction bringing with it all the smells that were to be expected from a force of speed freaks. The potent mixture of oil, exhaust fumes and ork flesh caused some of the more sensitive marines to cringe and snarl. Making no attempt to sneak up on the base or take advantage of cover the ork drivers put their feet down and forced the protesting machines at an increased rate. As they got into range a beam of white light hit the lead truck head on melting the armour and igniting the fuel tank causing the truck to explode throwing ork bodies into the air. Surprisingly a number of the transported orks got up and began to run towards the building.

Soon after the lascannon had fired the long fangs with the missile launchers fired a krak missile each at the two remaining trucks. The first hit the truck square on but was deflected by the vehicle's crude but effective armour. The second missed the erratic target burying it's self into the ground before exploding creating an impressive crater in the mud. There was no sign of the dreadnought or Leman Russ tank.

As the long fangs reloaded or recharged the rest of the marines counted down the distance of the ork mob on foot, waiting for them to be in range of their bolters. They reached the bolters fire range just as the long fangs had finished reloading; the vibration and noise caused by all the weapon fire shock the firebase and decimated the ork lines. The two remaining trucks had been neutralised and several dozen orks had been slain. The remaining orks from all three mobs grouped them selves together and continued the charge.

At that point the two war machines appeared over the crest of the hill, slowly the tank's many gun aimed at the firebase and fired. The orks aim was significantly off so that it only hit an unoccupied area of the base. The dreadnought was not so inaccurate however and rained down heavy slugs of metal on the defenders, although no one was injured it did force them to keep their heads down allowing the rest of the orks to advance unchallenged. From his position inside the base Marcus could clearly see everything through the eyes of his psyber raven, Greyeye, which was circling over head ignored by all as another bird. Using Greyeye he witnessed the dreadnoughts right shooter explode due to a jam of some kind which was common in ork machines, the explosion toppled the crude creation on to it's side were it lied still. He also caught a glimpse of something moving behind the looted Leman Russ, even with Greyeye's enhanced vision and superior position above the shapes were hard to make out, this eased his mind since they could only be one thing. Raising to his feet he commanded the long fangs above him to ignore the Leman Russ, they complied having enough experience to trust their commander.

Without the suppression fire of the dreadnought the wolves recommenced their fire on the approaching greenskins. Now with the added firepower of the long fangs frag missiles and lascannon skewing several aliens at a time. Again the Russ' cannon took aim this time it seemed to be compensating for the last miss and would hit the wolves exact position. The barrel stopped moving and there was an explosion. The turret hit the ground some fifty feet from the charred chassis of the battle tank. The ork's charge faltered as they turned to see the cause of the explosion step forward through the flames. Four large silhouettes moved slowly towards the ork flank and raised their heads. With a howl of joy the scouts ran towards the orks rear overcome with bloodlust.

At this display the bloodclaws leapt from behind the firebase's wall and joined in with the howling, Eric leading from the front. The grey hunters were keen to follow but the experience of battle had allowed them to control their need for combat. Thoran looked over in Marcus' direction in an unsaid request. It was answered in kind without words as Marcus charged out of cover towards the ork lines taking up the howl. That was all they need and they pursued their leader towards the orks.

While still dashing full pelt Marcus concentrated his willpower and using his staff for mental support he began to conjure up an image of the wulfen in his mind and project it behind the orks. As he did this the image materialised, forming into the likeness of a giant wolf like creature that had the impression of something else, something human, if only by the way it stood. The orks that saw the illusion as they turned to face the new threat perceived a real living giant that the 'umies had some how tamed and sneaked up behind them. Even to the orks who generally held no fear of anything this sight was shocking and caused some to scatter and some to freeze in terror. 

At seeing the image the wolves renewed their howl even more ferocious and loud. Eric especially since he had been overcome. As he charged across the battlefield he began to change slightly, he snarled baring his teeth proudly, he had also begun to slaver uncontrollably and a new glint was in his eye. Gone was the battle lust and hatred for his foe that all Sons' of Russ harboured, this fire was more uncontrollable and animal. The battle lust was replaced by a feral bloodlust, the hatred was intensified tenfold and all he could see was red. No longer was he a normal marine as he unsheathed his claws from their mounts in his specially crafted gauntlets, it was something wholly more terrifying that powered up the lighting claws power fields, his last rational thought extinguished he completed the transformation. He was no longer Eric Flashfang son of Durek, he was a man possessed. Possessed by the wulfen and it was hungry.

He was the first to hit the ork lines, slashing gouging and biting all thoughts of personal safety lost in the blissful moment of combat. He had slain half a dozen orks before the rest of the pack reached the orks. They too fought with a frightening vigour and berserk rage but none could compare to the fury that was Eric.

Closely after the bloodclaws hit the front the scouts, taking advantage of the distraction supplied by Marcus hit the back of the orks formation. Soon after that the grey hunters and Marcus reached the fray. All the while the long fangs fired at the centre of the orks till the swirl and complexity of the combat made it unsafe to fire. So the blood bath continued for a time uncounted till all the orks lay dead. Only then did the rage in Eric subside, he sheathed his claws and breathed deeply the air of the world around him. Marcus also was silent and in deep thought, many bloodclaws had been lost in the assault and a few grey hunters had also met an honourable end. Wiping green blood gently off his oak staff and setting his frostblade on an auto clean cycle he turned and made his way back to the firebase. They had won the battle but the war was far from finished, they would fight again before the sun set on them, and they would probably fight deep into the night.

Either way they were space wolves of the adeptus astartes, son's of Russ, there would be no surrender, no mercy, and no rest bite. As long as there was enemies they would fight, till the wolf time.


End file.
